Support
mANAGEr
Managers of technical support services need extensive experience with supported software and hardware, as well as excellent interpersonal, business management and customer service skills. The position also requires strong leadership skills. Employers typically seek a bachelor’s degree in information systems or a related discipline with at least five years of operations and sup- port experience, plus three or more years in a managerial role. Professional certifications such as the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), HDI’s Support Center Manager certification or experience with the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) also are valuable. Typical duties include:
• Managing the daily operations of a firm’s help desk and support services
• Managing staff, including hiring, training, scheduling work assignments and conducting evaluations • Monitoring response times, evaluating user sat-
isfaction levels and making recommendations for improvement
• Evaluating and managing technical support systems hardware and software and making recommendations regarding upgrades or changes
• Negotiating, writing and reporting on internal and external service level agreements
DESkTOp SuppOrT ANAlyST
Candidates for a desktop support analyst position should have extensive experience with desktop hardware, software applications, operating systems and network connectivity. They must be customer service- oriented and proactive in anticipating and resolving problems while maximizing efficient use of computing resources. A bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field and three to five years of experience installing and supporting PC and laptop hardware and software are standard requirements, although some employers are willing to substitute work experience for formal educa- tion. Additional requirements may include professional certifications from entities such as HDI (Desktop Sup- port Technician or Support Center Analyst), CompTIA or Microsoft (Microsoft Certified IT Professional or Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator). Typical duties include:
• Maintaining an inventory of installed software, managing software licensing, and creating policies and procedures for upgrades
• Working with hardware and software vendors to verify timely product delivery and ensuring that new equipment is installed and ready to operate on schedule
• Analyzing and making recommendations for hardware and software standardization
• Creating user accounts and managing access control based on company policies
SySTEmS ADmINISTrATOr
Systems administrators should possess strong problem- solving, analytical and communication skills in addition to in-depth technical knowledge of the employer’s systems hardware and software. Employer requirements vary depending on system complexity, the types of operating and network systems being supported, and the size of the organization. While some employers require a
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others may accept an associate’s degree or technical training certificate. Three to five years of experience working with the specific types of hardware and software systems used by the company are generally required. Professional certifications such as the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) or Sun Certified System Admin- istrator (SCSA) may be commonly sought by employers. Typical duties include:
• Installing operating system software, patches and upgrades
• Analyzing, troubleshooting and resolving system hardware, software and networking issues • Configuring, optimizing, fine-tuning and monitoring
operating system software and servers • Performing system backups and recovery • Conducting server builds
SySTEmS ENGINEEr
In addition to in-depth technical knowledge of the employer’s software and hardware, systems engineers need advanced analytical, troubleshooting and design skills. The ability to communicate with technical and nontechnical users also is essential. Employers may require extensive knowledge of the development pro- cess, including specification, documentation and quality assurance. Because of the broad range of demands systems engineers must meet, candidates who have demonstrated strong project planning skills often hold an advantage. Employers generally prefer candidates with five or more years of experience working with the specific hardware and software systems, as well as a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. Typical duties include:
• Developing, maintaining and supporting techni- cal infrastructure, hardware and system software components
• Performing installation, maintenance and support of system software/hardware and user support • Configuring, debugging and supporting multiple
infrastructure platforms
• Performing high-level root cause analysis for service interruption recovery and creating preventive measures
HElp DESk (TIErS 1, 2 & 3)
All help desk personnel need excellent problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills, along with patience, a customer-friendly attitude and the ability to work in a team environment. In addition, they should have a strong technical understanding of the various hardware, software and networking systems being sup- ported. Employer requirements depend on the help desk position level. Tier 1, an entry-level position, normally requires less than two years of work experience and may require an associate’s degree or completion of coursework at a technical school. Tier 2 positions typi- cally require two to four years of work experience and may require a bachelor’s degree or a two-year degree and additional, equivalent work experience in a help desk setting. Tier 3 positions often require four or more years of help desk experience, a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field and/or professional certification, such as HDI’s Customer Service Repre- sentative or Support Center Analyst or the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) designation. Typical duties include:
Tier 3
• Researching and resolving the most difficult and complex problems that other help desk levels have been unable to resolve
• Analyzing and identifying trends in issue reporting and devising preventive solutions
• Mentoring other help desk personnel on hardware and software problem analysis and resolution
Tier 2
• Resolving more complex issues requiring detailed systems and applications knowledge; these issues have been escalated from Tier 1
• Making the decision to generate a trouble or work order ticket for issues that will require a visit to the user’s PC or workstation
Tier 1
• Taking initial telephone or email inquiries and trouble- shooting and managing relatively simple hardware, software or network problems
• Recognizing and escalating more difficult problems to Tier 2 support
• Logging call activity
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INSTruCTOr/TrAINEr
Candidates for an instructor/trainer position require a combination of in-depth subject-matter expertise and excellent communication and presentation skills. They must be able to explain sometimes difficult technical material clearly and patiently to students with varying levels of proficiency. Candidates should be outgoing and comfortable working with diverse groups of people while maintaining professionalism at all times. A bach- elor’s degree in a related subject area may be preferred by some employers. Breadth of technical knowledge and at least one year of training experience also are required. Certification, such as a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) designation, also can be useful. Typical duties include:
• Determining training objectives and developing a course curriculum
• Creating course materials, handouts, instructional aids, audio/visual materials and similar teaching aids • Conducting classroom training
• Testing and evaluating student performance
pC TECHNICIAN
PC technicians need excellent problem-solving and customer service skills, as well as thorough knowledge of PC hardware, software and network connections. Employers look for relevant training, which may include an associate’s degree or completion of coursework through a technical school, as well as hands-on experience working with PC hardware and software. One to five years of previous experience may be required, depending on the complexity of the posi- tion. Professional certifications, such as the CompTIA IT Technician or Microsoft Certified IT Professional designation, also provide important skills validation and may be a requisite.
Typical duties include:
• Installing, configuring and maintaining desktop and laptop PCs and peripherals such as printers • Installing and configuring application and operating
system software and upgrades
• Troubleshooting and repairing hardware and network connectivity issues
• Removing old equipment and performing data migration to new machines
buSINESS CONTINuITy ANAlyST
Individuals interested in a business continuity analyst position need excellent analytical, organiza- tional, communication and documentation skills. A background in project management and/or business or systems analysis, and in-depth knowledge of a business sector such as finance or securities, is con- sidered ideal. Employers typically seek five or more years of experience in IT-related positions, along with several years of business continuity planning experi- ence. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field is a standard educational requirement.
Typical duties include:
• Analyzing critical business functions and defining the scope and impact of disaster scenarios • Designing, planning and implementing an enter-
prisewide business continuity plan
• Analyzing existing systems and recommending redundant, fault-tolerant solutions to ensure busi- ness continuity and duplication of all critical data • Devising, scheduling and implementing business
continuity tests and analyzing results • Documenting business continuity and business
continuity procedures, and making presentations and recommendations to senior management • Ensuring that the firm and its data systems are in
compliance with regulations such as the Sarbanes- Oxley Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in the United States or Multilateral Instrument 52-109 in Canada
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